“The main goal of this staff ride was to provide our officers with (an opportunity) to study a battle and actually walk the ground to drive home the experiences of combat,” said Lt. Col Steven Barry, commander, 2nd Sqdn., 1st Cav. Reg.

The Soldiers learned that 1st Cav. Reg. built and established Fort Union prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Combat Studies Institute historians from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, guided the squadron’s officers and sergeant major through the development of Fort Union as the key military installation on the western frontier.

Known as “The Gettysburg of the West,” the battle itself was fought along the Santa Fe Trail March 26-28, 1862, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the New Mexico Territory. The battle was a watershed moment during the Civil War, with the loss or control of the Inter-Mountain and Western territories and the vast reserves of natural resources found within them at stake.

After seizing Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the Confederacy, Lt. Col. William “Dirty Shirt” Scurry attacked with four regiments of the Texas Mounted Rifles through Glorieta Pass in an attempt to capture Fort Union and its supplies.

Col. John P. Slough, commander of the 1st Colorado Volunteers and detachments of the 1st and 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiments, had orders to defend Fort Union while harassing or delaying Confederate forces marching from Santa Fe through the Glorieta Pass.

Both commanders had forces numbering about 1,200 Soldiers. Once the smoke cleared after three days of fierce, close-quarter fighting, the Union forces retained control of Fort Union while Confederate forces retreated following the destruction of their supply wagons by Union cavalry.

“It was a great experience to actually walk the battlefields and see the terrain that the Soldiers had to deal with. It gave you a good understanding of what drove the decision making of some of the commanders and the overall outcome of the battle,” said 1st Lt. Ben Koenigsfeld, logistics officer, 2nd Sqdn., 1st Cav. Reg.

After the tour of Fort Union, the group moved on to the initial point of contact between Union and Confederate forces at a site known as Apache Canyon.

“The Apache Canyon site has seen its share of modern day highways infringing on the historic battlefield. Apache Canyon is a stark reminder of how important terrain and maximum reconnaissance are to the armies of the past and present,” said Capt. Todd Orges, assistant operations officer, 2nd Sqdn., 1st Cav. Reg.

At the Pecos National Historical Park and the Glorieta Battlefield, Soldiers walked the battlefield and discussed the battle from three tactically significant areas: Windmill Hill, Artillery Hill and Sharpshooter’s Ridge.

Historian Charles Collins of the Combat Studies Institute said the battle was unique in that “small forces, approximately 1,200 Soldiers on each side, had strategic consequences for the Union and Confederacy (gaining) control of the Western Territories.”

“It was an honor to facilitate the learning andapplications for (the officers’) careers and to share the national park with them,” said Eric Valencia, park ranger, Pecos National Historical Park, who aided the staff ride and provided information for multiple sites within the park.

The Soldiers on the staff ride said the experience helped them in their efforts to become better leaders.

“The squadron staff’s experience during the Glorieta Pass staff ride built teamwork, allowed us to reflect on our role in the profession of arms and understand the character of warfare on the western frontier,” said Maj. Paul Olsen, executive officer, 2nd Sqdn., 1st Cav. Reg. “The study of warfare and war through the Glorieta Pass staff ride provided valuable lessons: enduring principles for contemporary conflict characterized by pervasive technology and compressed decision cycles.”